God Keeps His Word

God told Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother. Jacob told his household, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. They gave him their idols and earrings, and he buried them under the oak near Shechem. A terror from God fell on the cities around them, so no one chased them.

At Bethel Jacob built an altar. God appeared to him again and blessed him, saying, Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel. God said, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. He promised that kings would come from Jacob and that the land given to Abraham and Isaac would be his. Jacob set up a stone pillar and poured a drink offering and oil on it.

As they traveled toward Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel had hard labor. She named her son Ben-oni, but Jacob named him Benjamin. Rachel died and was buried on the way, and Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. Jacob now had twelve sons. Isaac died at 180 years old, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.